Work out the full cost of buying a home in Germany — the Kaufnebenkosten that banks won't finance. Transfer tax by state, notary, land registry, and agent fees, all from your own cash.
German banks rarely finance closing costs — you pay them in cash.
Down payment (Eigenkapital)
20% of price
Grunderwerbsteuer (transfer tax)
6.5% — North Rhine-Westphalia
Notary + land registry
~2% (Notar + Grundbuch)
Agent (Maklerprovision)
3.57% buyer share, incl. VAT
Closing costs
€60.350
12.1% of the price
Total cash needed
€160.350
mortgage covers €400.000
When you buy in Germany, the purchase price is only the start. On top sit the Kaufnebenkosten — closing costs of roughly 9–15% of the price — and German banks almost never finance them. You pay them from your own savings (Eigenkapital), alongside your down payment. For an expat used to all-in mortgages elsewhere, this is the single biggest surprise: you need far more cash up front than the price tag suggests.
The property transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer) is set by each federal state and ranges from 3.5% in Bavaria to 6.5% in North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, Saarland, Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia. On a €500,000 home that's the difference between €17,500 and €32,500 — for the same house in a different state. You can't become the legal owner until it's paid: the tax office issues the clearance certificate (Unbedenklichkeitsbescheinigung) the land registry needs only once the money arrives.
Notary and land registry fees (Notar + Grundbuch) add about 2% combined and are effectively unavoidable — a German property purchase is legally invalid without a notary. The agent commission (Maklerprovision) is more flexible: since the December 2020 law it's shared between buyer and seller, so the buyer's share is typically up to 3.57% including VAT, and zero on a private sale. Together these complete the closing-cost picture.
Cash needed = Down payment + Grunderwerbsteuer (3.5–6.5%) + Notary & registry (~2%) + Agent (up to 3.57%)
Grunderwerbsteuer is charged on the purchase price at your state's rate. Notary and land registry add about 2% combined. The agent's buyer share, if any, is up to 3.57% incl. VAT. Because banks finance only the property itself, the calculator adds your down payment to all closing costs to show the total Eigenkapital you need.
On a €500,000 home in NRW (6.5%) with an agent and 20% down: down payment €100,000, transfer tax €32,500, notary + registry €10,000, agent €17,850. Closing costs €60,350 (12.1% of the price); total cash needed €160,350, with the mortgage covering the remaining €400,000.
Budget roughly 9–12% of the price for closing costs (up to ~15% with a full agent fee) — separate from your down payment, and all from your own cash.
Crossing a state line can save real money: the same home in Bavaria (3.5%) versus NRW (6.5%) differs by 3% of the price in transfer tax alone.
Buying directly from a developer or private seller (no agent) removes the Maklerprovision — often the largest single closing cost after the transfer tax.
Banks size your loan against the price, not the closing costs, so make sure your Eigenkapital covers the Kaufnebenkosten plus your intended deposit before you bid.
Set the property price once in a Wealthos Plan and let the transfer tax, notary, and agent lines recalculate as you negotiate.
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Set your property price once in Wealthos and let the transfer tax, notary, and agent fees update automatically. Connect your accounts to check you're covered — free, no card.
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